Californians appear overwhelmingly in support of Proposition 50, according to two new polls released just before Election Day.
The Public Policy Institute of California’s latest poll shows 56% of voters would vote yes on Prop 50, while only 43% would vote no. Mark Baldassare, who conducted the statewide poll, noted a surprising level of voter engagement for this special election, which aims to temporarily redraw district lines.
“The number of people who said the outcome was very important to them was 68%. That’s the highest I’ve ever seen, any time I’ve ever asked that question, in the last 20 years,” Baldassare said.
Another poll released Thursday morning by Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies shows an even wider gap in support, with 60% saying yes on Prop 50 and only 38% saying no.
Prop 50’s redrawing of district lines could add five Democrats to the House of Representatives. This move is a direct response to Texas’s redistricting plan, which could add five Republicans.
Representative Judy Chu, a Democrat, commented earlier this month that Proposition 50 is the best way to push back against what she calls unfair practices. “This is just gratuitous election rigging by Texas, so we have to fight fire with fire,” said Rep. Chu.
Unsurprisingly, the two latest polls reveal a deep partisan divide: more than 90% of Democrats support Prop 50, while more than 90% of Republicans oppose it.
Those hoping for a No on 50 victory are not conceding defeat just yet. Amy Thoma Tan of Protect Voters First explained, “What we’re seeing from our data, and just anecdotally, is people who plan to vote ‘no’ are tending to vote later, and plan to vote in person. So I think between now and Tuesday, we’re going to see the composition of the electorate change a little bit.”
Governor Gavin Newsom’s confidence in a Yes victory is so strong that he has reportedly stopped asking for campaign donations.
The high level of engagement on both sides suggests this election could see record turnout for a single proposition. Baldassare remarked, “In many respects, this reflects very positively on Californians that so many people are engaged on both sides, on both the no and yes side, that this is very important.”
California voters will decide on Proposition 50 on November 4.
https://abc7.com/post/new-polls-show-californians-overwhelmingly-support-prop-50-ahead-election-day/18092683/
